By Daniel F Hall

What are head lice?

Head lice are blood sucking parasites that live by feeding off human heads and scalps. Head lice have specially adapted hooks on their feet to hold onto the hosts head, normally on a single strand of hair. Head lice are tiny creatures which are only 2 - 3 mm in length. Head lice feed by burrowing their mouth into the scalp on a daily basis, or when ever they require nutrients. They have six legs and vary in color from light brown to grey or almost black. Their color makes them very difficult to find and hunt down in dark colored hair.

How many eggs can a mature head lice female lay?
A mature female louse has the ability to lay about six eggs a day on average. This rate of breeding makes getting rid of head lice a challenge. Getting rid of head lice is a challenge as it required constant effort and never ending determination until every last parasite is either killed or removed.

Where do head lice come from?
Head lice have been on the earth since prehistoric times and this is a testament to the creature’s survival. Scientists have determined that lice have probably lived as long as humans. Other scientists have said that lice might have come from monkeys and then evolved to entirely rely on humans.

How do you get head lice?
Head lice are most commonly spread through direct contact. Direct contact could be from using an infected comb, brush or wearing an infected person’s hat. Head lice is also spread throughout an entire household if one person comes home infected and then the family member that helps remove the nits and lice get infected. Direct physical contact can also result in getting head lice, for example putting your head on the head rest of a couch that has been used by an infected person. It is important to know that head lice cannot jump, fly or hop. Head lice mainly moved by crawling although they prefer to hook themselves to a root of hair.

How can I break the Head louse’s life cycle?
Breaking the head louse’s life cycle is the most important part of destroying and eventually getting rid of the infestation. Breaking the life cycle will cause the number of lice to remain steady for a while and this gives you an opportunity to attack. In order to break the life cycle you will first need to understand it. Head lice have a short life span, about thirty days on average. Once the head lice are born, which takes eight to ten days, it will require nine to ten days to mature. After the nine to ten days the louse will be able to lay eggs and increase the population. Head lice grow in three stages which are, nits (or eggs), nymph (larva form), and finally into adults. In the nymph stage louse are the hardest to see because they are basically transparent and extremely small (about the size of a pin head). Adult lice have the ability to crawl and maneuver very quickly with the cover of hair to hide from the light. Head lice are normally diagnosed by finding nits.

I have battled with head lice before and so I decided to help other people with the common problem of head lice. Getting rid of head lice can be a challenge, but with the right knowledge and a safe, tested method of killing head lice you will be able to become head lice free again.

If you are looking for a comprehensive Head Lice Removal Guide then I highly recommend http://www.removeheadlice.com

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Article Source: EzineArticles.com

By Michael Russell

Head lice are small, wingless parasitic insects that are found in human hairs. It also goes by the medical term pediculus humanus capitis. Although head lice can be annoying, it is not a health hazard and is not responsible for the spread of any disease. The Centers for Disease Control do not keep track of the number of head lice cases, because it is not considered a disease. This makes it hard to determine the precise number of cases. But estimates by manufacturers of head lice products indicate that 12 to 25 million Americans get it each year.

A head louse (singular for lice) has 3 life cycle stages: nit, nymph and adult. A nit is a head lice egg. An adult female lays a nit at the base of a hair shaft. This location keeps the nit warm before it hatches. Nits cannot hatch at room temperature. A nit hatches in about 1 to 2 weeks. A nit looks like a yellow, tan, or brown piece of dandruff. Unfortunately, unlike a piece of dandruff, a nit is firmly attached to the hair shaft and cannot be easily removed. Nits normally come in larger numbers than nymphs or adults. Nits are also bigger and easier to see. Nymphs are baby lice and they become adults 7 days after hatching. An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed. It will take on a darker color if it is found in dark hair. Both nymphs and adults must feed on blood in order to survive. An adult louse can live up to 30 days on a human hair. It can survive for up to 2 days after falling off a human hair.

Determining if you have head lice can be made easier if you know where to look. Nits, nymphs and adult louse are most commonly found on hairs located on the scalp, behind the ears and at the back of the neck. On rare occasions, nits, nymphs and adult louse can be found on the body, eyelashes, or eyebrows.

Even if you know where to look, determining if you have head lice can still be difficult. Medical research indicates that on average, children with a head lice infestation will have no more than 10 to 20 nymphs or adult lice. Because nymphs or adult lice are very small, low in number and able to crawl around hairs pretty quickly, finding them can be a fairly difficult task. If you want to determine if a head lice infestation exists, you might want to use a magnifying glass and bright light to make this difficult task easier.

If there are no nymphs or adult lice, the distance of the nit from the skin can determine if a head lice infestation exists. If a nit is found within a 1/4 inch from the skin, then there is a good likelihood that this person has a head lice infestation. If there are no nymphs or adults and the nits are more than a 1/4 inch from the skin, then this is an old infestation that can be ignored. But there have been cases where a person had a few nits without actually being diagnosed as having head lice, so you should consult your doctor to make sure.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Head Lice

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

By James Lamb

Head lice are easily spread. Any kind of physical contact with another person or their belongings has the potential to infect you or your family with them. Luckily it’s not as simple as breathing in airborne infections like flu but is still easily done. You are not going to be able to prevent your child from contact with others, in fact playing together is normal everyday behaviour and is to be encouraged, you just need to be vigilant against head lice.

There are a number of simple steps you can take to minimise the chance of catching them or to lessen the impact it it happens.

Head lice are usually passed on through head to head or more precisely hair to hair contact. Lice cannot fly like mosquitoes or jump like fleas, they can only crawl. However they need only around thirty seconds of close enough proximity to be able to crawl from person to person.

Lice can only survive about two or three days at best away from a human host. Even this is enough time for them to crawl into hats. scarves, coats, bedding, cushions, in fact anything a head may come into contact with and infect another person. Should one person or child be infected with the lice the whole family will need to checked in case they too have them.

If a head lice infestation is confirmed there are a range of treatments available to kill them. The following tips may be helpful in dealing with reinfection or to keep them at bay.

You can explain to your child NOT to share brushes, hats, hairbands, clothing, sports kit etc. Young kids are unlikely to take it on board but older ones should.

At home do not allow the sharing of combs, brushes, towels, clothing etc

Soak combs and brushes in very hot water (above 170 degrees F as this kills lice) for fifteen minutes. If cheap products, discard them and buy new.

Wash bedding and clothing recently used in hot water (170 degrees F at least) Ensure you READ WASHING INSTRUCTIONS on items so not to damage them. If not washable try to tumble dry on very hot setting to kill lice, again check laundry instructions first.

Do a deep thorough vacuum of carpets, fabric furniture like sofas etc and wash cushion covers.

Some fabric items may be damaged by washing at high temperatures so try sealing in air tight plastic bags for at least two weeks. This should be enough time for nits to hatch and adult lice to die which they must if they are unable to feed.

If you get a school letter regarding a head lice outbreak inspect your children’s hair and eyebrows carefully and methodically under a good light about every three days. If you find lice buy a good over the counter lice shampoo and nit comb. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter and don’t skimp or skip treatment.

If you use lice shampoos don’t panic and start washing hair every day or you will wash out the shampoo before it has chance to do its job killing the lice.

Head lice are itchy and head scratching is usually the first sign of an infestation. Be vigilant for spots, scabs or raw skin from fingernails raking the scalp and treat as usual with antiseptics

Head lice are a nuisance but not dangerous. If you heed this basic simple advice you should be fine. For more helpful information and tips on dealing with and beating head lice please pay a visit to my specialist head lice webpage below.

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James Lamb is a UK writer specialising in health subjects. For full information on dealing with and eradicating head lice please visit my head lice webpage here.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com